Early Aptian productivity increase as recorded in the Fourcade level of the Ionian zone of Greece

The Mid-Cretaceous ‘upper siliceous zone’ of the Vigla Limestone is studied in detail along the Paliambela section of northwestern Greece. Within it two radiolarite horizons can be identified, the lower being rich in organic matter and named herein as the ‘Fourcade level’. The preserved organic matter is of planktic/bacterial origin and of low thermal maturity. The nannoflora contained within the lower marly argillites consists of a poorly preserved and oligospecific assemblage characterised by the total absence of Nannoconids. Radiolarian assemblages yielded from the Fourcade level are dominated by the family Archaeodictyomitridae. Integrated calcareous nannofossil and radiolarian biostratigraphic results suggest an Early Aptian age for the Fourcade level, which can be thus considered as the local expression of the globally recognised Early Aptian Oceanic Anoxic Event (OAE 1a). To cite this article: T. Danelian et al., C. R. Geoscience 334 (2002) 1087–1093.